The Passing of Royce Lewellen
In one’s life, you cross paths with many wonderful people. Almost fifty years ago, my path crossed with Royce Lewellen. First came friendship and then an appreciation for wine which led to the partnership of Lucas & Lewellen which brought together the vineyards, the winery, and the people involved. We have done it all from Champagne to Cabernet Sauvignon. Throughout this 24 year ride, Royce and I really loved what we were doing. The world of wine gave us an opportunity to contribute to the community and enjoy people. What is wine? Wine is friendship, celebration, all these good things that bring people together. It’s a place where we fit. The spirit of Royce will always be part of us. It was an honor to be associated with His Honor.
2018 Gewurztraminer: Gewurztraminer is considered one of the great grape varieties of the world and one of the 18 classic noble grapes, yet it is scarce in total production. These grapes need to be grown in a cooler region like our Los Alamos Vineyard. This one is made in the crisp Alsatian style with no oak and off-dry with just enough residual sugar to magnify the flavors and spicy rose aromas. We occasionally make this variety into a late harvest wine. While fermenting this vintage, we gave it some skin contact to enhance the character of the wine. This wine goes well with shellfish, Indian cuisine, artichoke, and eggplant, my favorite vegetable.
2016 Petit Verdot: This wine is worth putting away in your cellar for a few years but you can certainly enjoy it now. Considered one of the great varieties of Bordeaux, it is still limited in production but it is growing in popularity. It is often thought of as a blending component, which it is great for. If a wine needs backbone, Petit Verdot will bring it. It is rarely vinified as a stand-alone variety because it is difficult to get it to the proper ripeness, requiring more time and aging to tame the huge tannins. When made right, Petit Verdot will show a hint of violets. I recommend this wine highly - it needs to be experienced.
We miss seeing our Wine Club family at our annual events and hope that things will open soon. You need to experience the new Toccata Tasting Room, now directly across the street from L&L. Last Sunday, we had temperatures of 116°F but the vines and grapes survived. Harvest is in full swing and we are hiding from the smoke.
We hope you all have a smile on your face.
